The mission of the Colorado Dance Alliance is to support and
foster dance in Colorado. The organization is dedicated to increasing
the awareness of dance as a performance art and as an area of
education; serving an esthetically diverse dance community representing
a broad range of styles and forms by providing dance artists
with tools which will enable them to design and further their
careers in the field; providing information regarding dance
to the membership as well as non-members.
Our Goals:
- To build bigger, more aware and appreciative
audiences for dance in Colorado
- To serve as a center for gathering information
and networking within the Colorado Dance community
- To provide professional learning enrichment
opportunities, career education and management training opportunities
for Colorado dance artists and organizations
- To create performance opportunities for Colorado
dance artists and participate in national networking by acting
as a program coordinator in conjunction with dance presenters
- To encourage dance education through community
based programs, in community agencies, in public and private
schools
- To provide reference materials to members and
non-members regarding the field of dance in the state
- To develop a network of informed dance presenters
in Colorado
History of the Colorado Dance Alliance
The Colorado Dance Alliance (CDA) is a statewide organization whose mission is to foster and support dance in the state of Colorado. CDA was founded in 1980 and has been a continuous force in the arts in Colorado for nearly 27 years. Incorporated as a non-profit corporation 501(c) (3) in 1982, CDA is led by a board of dedicated volunteers from a broad and varied background. They have included representatives from dance companies, universities, other state arts organizations, and professionals from outside the dance field. The CDA is dedicated to diversity not only on its board, but in the constituents it serves. Its membership is made up of dance groups from all over the state, representing a myriad of dance forms including social dance, ethnic dance and concert dance. Professional companies such as the Colorado Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and Vail International Institute, as well as small community dance organizations are part of the CDA. It has been CDA’s goal to reach out to everyone involved in the dance community; to this end our membership includes not only dance organizations but those that support the art of dance as well, physical therapist, dance wear companies, local producers, etc..
Since its inception CDA has worked to support and advocate for dance through a variety of programs. Since 1982 the CDA has published a bi-monthly newsletter, Colorado Dance News, which serves to inform the entire statewide dance community about important local and national news, including upcoming events, information on auditions, classes, as well as articles dealing with funding issues, health and injury prevention, dance education, and current topics related to the state of the arts. Colorado Dance News was touted by the Rocky Mountain News as having the most comprehensive calendar of dance performances anywhere. CDA has produced and presented a number of performances including: 2 Colorado Dance Awards, 6 Colorado Choreographers Showcases, 2 ethnic dance showcases, and co-producing Dance Event 2000. CDA works with the Denver Mayors Office of Cultural Affairs providing dance groups to perform at free noon time concerts as well as supporting the Mid Summer Nights dance series. CDA also publishes the biennial Where to Study Dance, a directory listing Colorado dance studios, schools, teachers, choreographers, festivals, grant writers, critics, dance therapist, etc.. This is the only publication of its kind in the state and is provided free to the public in order to increase the visibility of dance organizations in the state, and provide a resource for all of Colorado. This same directory is available through the CDA website along with links to hundreds of other dance and arts organizations and information on dance education.
The Colorado Dance Alliance has established itself as a valuable, sustainable and committed member of the Colorado community.
